A Very Bad Idea Leading to a Very Long Day
by BellaLeigh1
Summary: Maybe having Hayley help him with those names wasn't the best idea. Based on episode 1x14


In hindsight, asking Hayley to write down all of the names Celeste had magically written on his body was a very bad idea. He hadn't considered the proximity that would be required. Or the way her breath would feel on his skin. And that was not even getting into her touching him. The first brush of her fingers against his skin had been like an electric shock. A sensation that had not lessened at all in subsequent touches. And she was touching him perhaps more than necessary. Oh, she needed to position him to get a better view. He would give her that. But, tracing each name with her fingertips before writing it down was probably unnecessary. Not that he had any intention of telling her that. Not that he even could tell her that. The ability to speak had fled long ago, and seemed in no hurry to return.

He wanted to reach out to her. To run his fingers through her hair. He tried to remind himself of all the reasons acting on what he was feeling was a bad idea. Starting with the fact that she was pregnant with his brother's child. That alone should have been enough. But, in that moment, he didn't care. Especially when her fingers traced a path across his abdomen just above the waistband of his pants. He hissed and closed his eyes against the onslaught of sensations.

Until he again felt Hayley's fingers on him, near his hip. Fingers that this time dipped below his waistband. He grabbed her wrist. "What are you doing?"

"Your psycho ex-girlfriend was certainly thorough. I'll give her that much. At least one of the names is... not entirely visible." Meaning that if he wanted a complete list, he was going to have to strip down to his boxers and hope that that was enough. And try not to think about the fact that Hayley was currently on her knees in front of him.

He swallowed hard against the images that put in his head. And then, quickly, not giving himself time to think about it, he undid his pants and let them fall. He was going to regret this. He knew that. Especially when he really heard the sound he didn't realize he had been trying to ignore. Hayley's heartbeat. A rhythm far above what he knew was normal for her. She seemed to actually be just as affected by this as he was. Which made keeping his hands to himself infinitely more difficult.

He didn't know how long it was before Hayley finally stood and put the paper down. And then she took a step towards him. He couldn't move. "Hayley."

"I know you're probably still mad at me. And I'm not going to apologize. If I hadn't done what I did, we might have never figured out that Sabine was really Celeste. I will apologize for hurting you, though. I hope that you can someday forgive me for that."

"I'm not angry with you. I was more hurt than anything. I trusted you and felt betrayed. But, I know that you were only doing what you thought was best. I have already forgiven you. It's okay."

She took another step. "I lied to you the night I told you what I did."

He raised an eyebrow at that. "Oh? And what exactly did you lie about?"

"I told you that when I feel something, I act. And when I want something, I take it. That always used to be true. And yet, I've been here, all this time. Not acting on how I feel. Not taking what I wanted." She reached out, putting her hand on his chest. Even though he knew he should take a step back, or at least move her hand, he couldn't bring himself to do it. "That ends now, Elijah."

"And just what is it that you want, now?" As if that wasn't becoming quite obvious. Why did he need to hear her say the words? Would that give him the strength to walk away? Or was he really looking for an excuse to not walk away?

"This." The hand on his chest slid up and behind his neck, pulling him to her. And then she kissed him.

If the brush of her fingertips had been an electric shock, the touch of her lips to his was a lightning strike. He couldn't help the moan that escaped him. He clenched his hands into fists to keep from grabbing the back of her head, wrapping his arm around her waist, and holding her to him. But, while he could keep himself from touching her, he couldn't keep his lips from parting to allow the admittance of her tongue. Couldn't keep his own tongue from tangling with hers. It was just a kiss. And yet, it was somehow the most intense thing he had ever experienced. It was as if his entire life, the entire past 1000 years, was simply the prelude. Simply leading him here, to this moment, to this woman.

She eventually pulled away. They stood there, staring at each, for several long minutes. He wanted to take a step back, get some distance between them so he could think. But, he also wanted to reach out to her, take her into his arms, kiss her again. Eventually, as it always did, logic won out. He reached up and took her wrist, gently removing her hand from his neck. "Hayley. This isn't... You know that this isn't a good idea."

She lowered her hand, turned away. "Yeah. Right." Took a step. Stopped. Turned back. "You know what? No. I don't know. And a minute ago, you didn't either. You're a hard one to read, Elijah. Your eyes tell me you want me. You certainly kissed me back passionately enough." Her eyes flicked down and back up. "You can't try to deny that your body wants more. And yet, you can't bring yourself to touch me. When I finally break the kiss, because don't forget that you could have at any time and didn't, you start talking about this not being a good idea. So, which is it?"

He wanted to close his eyes so he wouldn't have to see her vulnerability, her pain. But, he was afraid that she would take that as a rejection. "I don't know what you want me to say."

She reached down and took his hand,lacing her fingers with his. "How about, just this once, we're both completely honest with each other?" Before he could respond she gave him a sad smile. "I'll even start. This has been a long time coming. I don't know how many times I've almost kissed you. And we just won't talk about the fact that you have had the starring role in more hormone-addled fantasies than I can count."

She was still talking, but he didn't hear the rest of it. She had fantasized about him. The nights that he had laid in his bed and wished that she was with him, had she been in her own bed wishing the same thing? An image flashed into his mind. Hayley, naked, pleasuring herself, and moaning his name. His composure snapped. All of the reasons why taking what he wanted was a bad idea vanished. There was only now. There was only her. The hand holding hers tightened around her fingers, and the other reached up to tangle in her hair.

And then another image flashed into his head. Himself, unbuttoning his shirt, seeming to be in a hurry. What the Hell? And then he saw Hayley's eyes widen and understood. But, the image was gone. And he wanted it back. He leaned down and claimed her mouth with his own. There was nothing gentle about this kiss. This was months of pent-up frustration at wanting something he couldn't have.

And as they stood there, locked in an embrace that was months in the making, images flashed into his head. His hands on Hayley's body. His mouth skimming down her stomach. Her hands on him. Him above her, moving inside her. Her above him, rocking herself against him. He honestly didn't know which thoughts were his own and which were hers. And it didn't matter.

A small voice in the back of his head was telling him that he was being the worst kind of voyeur. That the inside of her own head should be a place of inviolate privacy that he had no right to intrude on. But, finding out that Hayley had been fantasizing about making love to him had thrown all logic and sense of decency out the window. Leaving only a need to give in to the hunger he felt for her.

Until another sound penetrated the fog surrounding his brain. The sound of a throat clearing. "Don't get me wrong, guys. I know better than anyone about stealing a few minutes whenever you get a chance. But, maybe we should get Klaus and Rebekah back. Then you two can get back to... whatever you were doing in here."

He reluctantly pulled away from Hayley, who looked embarrassed. "It was just a kiss Marcellus."

"Right. Just a kiss. And you're dressed in nothing but boxers because...?"

"Because Celeste was a little too thorough. Not all of the names were visible with his pants on. And since part of the point of this game seems to be to make him as uncomfortable as possible, there was a very good chance that the name that was the key to this was one of the ones that wasn't. And so, the pants had to come off. The kiss just sort of happened."

Elijah was trying not to laugh. Hayley nervous and babbling was possibly the cutest thing ever. But, he cut her off before she could slip and say something that would just add fuel to the fire. "We have the list, Marcellus. Let me get dressed and then we can go over it and see if we can figure this out."

Marcel smirked at them, but then nodded and turned and walked out. Hayley looked about to follow him, but Elijah grabbed her arm. "Wait. We need to talk about what really happened."

Hayley shrugged. "You were in my head. Or maybe I was in yours. Does it matter? Though, it's probably a good thing that Marcel came in when he did. I'd hate to have to someday explain to my little girl that her dad and Aunt Rebekah died because mom and Uncle Elijah were too busy having sex to go rescue them."

He stared at her for a minute, suddenly feeling oddly awkward and shy. "Would you... Hayley, I..."

"How about you put your clothes back on before Marcel comes looking for us, again?"

"Right." He turned around and picked up his pants, pulling them on while his back was turned to her. Not having to look at her gave him a courage he didn't have a moment ago. As he reached for his shirt, he finally was able to ask the question that she had to know was coming. "After this is over, once Niklaus and Rebekah are safe, would you... I would very much like to spend the night with you." He sounded like a nervous teenager. Honestly, he felt like a nervous teenager.

"I would like that, too."

He turned back around with a smile and then took her hand and kissed it. It was probably a good thing that Marcel had come in when he did. Hayley deserved candlelight, soft music, a bed, and romance. And tonight she would get them.

It was going to be a very long day.


End file.
